The information minister said he believed that when the Somali government and the opposition alliance were in Djibouti to agree on a cessation of hostilities, and that the two sides could influence and would have an impact on the ground.

For its part, the opposition alliance ruled out face-to-face peace talks with the Somali transitional government unless it works out a timetable for the withdrawal of the Ethiopian troops.

Abdulrahman Abdishakur Warsane, vice chairman of the opposition alliance known as ARS, said " We told the Security Council that the ARS is ready for peace and we are committed for peace and we came here for peace and to seek the lasting solution for the Somali conflict."

But the vice chairman also told the Security council "The Ethiopian presence is the main obstacle to the peace process, and the main obstacle to reach a lasting solution for Somalia and it must be addressed."

"If addressed as a timetable and timeframe for Ethiopian withdrawal, we do not mind to sit with the other party" for face-to-face talks, he said.

Representative from Somali armed insurgent group al-Shabab, which is battling Somali government and the Ethiopian allies, did not came to the meeting in Djibouti.

Mukhtar Ali Robow, a spokesman for al-Shabab, which the United States says has links to al Qaida, was quoted by media as ridiculed the meetings, saying that attending the talks, telling local media "They are afraid to go into the list of tattooists, but our mujahideen will continue the fighting."

It is widely seen here that there was still a wipe gap that must be bridged before a peace process can be launched.

Nonetheless, the UN Security Council thought the separate meetings with the government and the opposition alliance were a step forward.